Voting-machine.



I. WATERMAN. VOTING MACHINE. I APPLICATION FILED OUT. 29, 1910. 1,076,088, 7 Patented Oct. 21, 1913.

3 SHEETB-SHEET 1.

. n 21 u fiW Iihirmm: I Zhmrninr comm! I'LANOGNAPII CQJVASHINGTQN. u. c

Patented Oct. 21, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHBET 2.

minimum I. WATER-MAN YOTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 29, 1910.

1,076,088. Patented Oct. 21,1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

iluumtnr COLUMBIAHPLANOGRAPH 60.,wASnmmuN. u. C

. uNITED sTATEs PATENT oFFroE- IRA WATERMAN, OF ADRIAN, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO J. WALLACE PAGE, OF ADRIAN, MICHIGAN.

VOTING-MACHINE.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRA WATERMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Adrian, in the county of Lenawee, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Voting-Machines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use'the same, reference being had to the accompany ing drawings, and to thecharacters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to voting machines, and consists in the construction and operative association of parts hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a voting machine adaptable for use in primary elections, wherein the arrangement is such as to prevent an elector casting a vote for a candidate on any ticket except the one he has declared his intention of voting. p

. A further object is to provide means whereby the elector may freely select his ticket from among the several candidates for the same office.

A. further object is to place the machine under the control of the inspector so that he may definitely determine the ticket which the elector may vote, to make sure the ticket which the elector votes is in accordance with his declared intention.

A further object is to provide means also under the control of the inspector, whereby the machine may be looked after the ticket has been arranged and before it has been voted to obviate the possibility of the elector changing his ticket to include candidates of another party before registering his vote.

A further object is to provide means for preventing the actuation of the voting lever also under the control of the inspector, whereby the voting of the machine may be prevented until the inspector shall have set the machine so as to enable the elector to vote the ticket he has declared his intention of voting, and no other.

A further object is to provide means whereby the inspector may accurately position the vote-controlling bars from the exterior of the machine, and for locking said Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented O6i3.'21 ,1913.

' Application filed October 29, 1910. Serial No. 589,748;

bars so as to confine the ticket voted to any predetermined voting column.

The above objects are attained by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of a voting machine constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the machine. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in elevation of one of the notched rods employed to actuate the vote-controlling bars. Fig. 4c is an elevation of the machine, illustrating by the position of the buttons in the channels of the face thereof, an attempt on the part of the elector tovote at a primary election for candidates on other than the party ticket he has declared his intention of voting. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail in section showing the means for locking the voting lever. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary View in section, at right angles to Fig. 5, showing the connection'between the voting lever and the counting wheels. Fig. 7 is an elevation of the front of the machine, showing the position of parts preparatory to voting, and afterthe inspector has set the machine to confine the buttons to the column of the political party with which theelector has declared his affiliation. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view in detail, showing the means for locking the movable rods which actuate the controlling bars; in said view but one of said rods is shown locked. Fig. 9 is a simi- Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view in elevation, showing the pivoted dog or detent which re strains the movement of the spring-actuated locking bolt. that holds the voting lever against actuation. 'Fig. 11 is a fragmentary view in elevation of one of the notched rods employed to actuate the vote controlling bars.

The voting machine in. connection with 'lar, view showing both of said rods locked. V

which this invention is illustrated is like N that shown in my copending application, Serial No. 561,956.

'Referring to the characters of reference, 1 designates the frame-of the machine which may be o f-any suitable construction. Crossing the face of the machine are a number of transverse channels 2' in which the movable buttons 3 representing the candidates for the several otfices are adapted to slide. At one end of the channels 2 they are con- The buttons 3 are so constructed that when i moved into position in a voting column, their inner ends '6 will engage the pivoted frame 7 of the counting wheels and raise said frame so as to throw the teeth 8 of one of said wheels into engagement with the rack teeth '9 on the vertically movable voting rack 10, as shown in Fig. 6, in which position of parts when the machine is voted, the voting rack will descend and actuate the counting wheels to register a vote for that candidate.

Crossing the face of the machine and suitably supported at its ends is a bar 11. Mounted to slid-e upon said bar is a head 12 which carries avertically extending bar 13 adapted to travel with said head across the face of the machine, the length of said bar being equal to the length of the voting columns. Attached to the head 12 is a rod 14 which passes through a suitable guide plate 15 at the end of the machine and is provided at its outer end with an actuating handle 16. Through the medium of said handle the rod 14 may be actuated to slide the head 12 and the bar 13 back and forth upon the slide bar 11. The bar 13 not only affords a limiting stop by means of which the inspector may restrain the movable buttons 3 against movement in the slots 2 in one direction, butalso serves as means for destroying a vote after it has been cast and for returning the movable buttons to the initial position. Also mounted to slide upon the bar. 11 is a vertically disposed alining bar 17 having at its longitudinal center a head 18 which embraces the bar 11 and is slidably mounted theron to carry the bar 17 transversely across the face of the machine. The normal position of the bar 17 is at the front end of the machine, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, with the buttons 3 lying in vertical order against or adjacent the inner edge thereof. Attached to the sliding head 18 of the bar 17 is an actuating rod 1.9 which also passes through the guide plate 15 and carries at its out-er end the operative handle 20. Formed in one edge of the rod 14 are the spaced notches 21 which correspond with the voting columns of the party tickets and which are consecutively lettered, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. in accordance with thelettering at the head of said columns. Pivoted to the face of the guide plate 15 is a locking cam 22 having an actuating handle 23. This cam is adapted to be turned upon its axis so as to cause its edge to engage in one of the notches 21 in the rod 14 and lock said rod against movement, as shownrin Fig. 8. The rod 19 is also provided with notches 24 similar to the notches 21 in the rod 14 which in like manner will be lettered. The relation of the rod 19 with respect to the rod 13 and the cam 22 is such that by a movementof said cam to the position shown in Fig. 9, both of the rods may be locked against movement by the engagement of said cam in the respective notches thereof. When the cam 21 is in the neutral position, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, both of the rods 14 and 1-9 are freeto be moved longitudinally through the guide plate 15. The bars 13 and 17 are at all times under the control of the inspector through the medium of the handles 16 and 20 on the rods 14 and 19 respectively.

In manyof the States, the law pertaining to primary elections provides that an elector on presenting himself at the voting place to vote, shall declare the political party with which he is afiiliated, and that where a voting machine is used at such election, provision shall be made whereby an elector shall not be able to vote for the candidates on any party ticket other than the one with which he has declared is afliliation. To illustrate the use of this machine at a primary election, it is assumed that an elector has demanded a ballot and declared his intention of voting the Republican ticket. The elector then steps before the machine, the face of which in practice is inclosed with a concealing curtain, not shown, when the inspector by pushing inwardly upon the handle 20 of the rod 14 will move the bar to the position shown in Fig. 4 and will actuate the locking cam 2 to lock the rod 14, as

shown in Fig. 8, thereby holding the bar 13 against movement in either direction. The position of the bar 13 is such as to permit the buttons 3 to be moved from right to left in the channels 2 into the voting column of the Republican party, said bar, however, serving as a barrier to prevent the buttons being moved farther to the left, obviating the possibility of the elector voting for candidates of any of the political parties whose votin columns are at the left of said bar. When moving the buttons into voting; position, the elector may, if he chooses, move them simultaneously by sliding the bar 17 from right to left across the face of the machine into aline-ment with the voting column of the party ticket he wishes to vote, after which said bar may be returned to its initial position so as to enable the buttons to be passed from one of the horizontal channels 2 into another of said channels by way of the connecting vertical channel 4. When theelector shall have made up his ticket as he wishes to :vote it, he announces to the inspector that he'is ready to vote; the inspector then shoves inwardly upon the handle 20 of the rod 19 until the notch 24: in said rodhaving the designating character for the Republican ticket, shall register with the locking cam 22. This inward movement of the rod 19 moves the bar 17 into parallel relation with the bar 13 on-the opposite side of the voting coluinn containing the Republican ticket, as shown in. Fig. 7, when by turning the locking cam to the position shown in Fig. 9, its edge will engage in the notch 24 of the rod 19, thereby locking said rod as well as the rod 14: with which said cam remains in looking engagement, whereby the bars 14: and 17 are looked upon each side of the voting column containing the ticket the elector announced his intention of voting, a position of parts illustrated in Fig. 7, and in which position the buttons are confined entirely to the column containing the nominees on the Republican ticket, thereby making it impossible for the elector to cast a ballot for a candidate on any of the other party tickets. Should the elector through ignorance or with the intent to vote for candidates on the party tickets other than the one to which he declared his allegiance, move the buttons 3 into the voting columns ofsaid other parties at the right of the bar 13, as illustrated in Fig. 4:, the last movement of the bar 17 by the inspector into the position shown in Fig. 7, will carry the buttons which have been placed in the columns of the other party tickets into the voting column of the Republican party, thus defeating the intent of the elector, or preventing him from making a mistake through inadvertence.

The voting rack 10 carrying the rack teeth 9, which actuate the counters 8 of the sets of counting wheels for the respective offices on the several tickets for which nominations are being made, is tripped to actuate said counters through the medium of the voting lever 25, fixed to a rock shaft 26 journaled in the base of the machine and carrying the crank arm 27 connectedby a link 28 with a bell crank lever 29 pivotally mounted in the frame and carrying at its upper end a supporting antifriction roller 30 which engages under across bar 31 of the rack frame to hold said frame supported. An upward movement of the lever 25 will actuate the bell-crank lever to carry the roller 30 thereon, from under the cross bar 31 of the rack frame, thereby allowing said frame to fall and actuate the counters. To prevent an actuation of the voting lever, however, by the elector before the inspector has properly set the machineyto prevent the elector voting any ticket other than that which he has declared his intention of voting, a locking device is provided in the form of a spring-actuated locking bolt 32 mounted in the frame of the machine,'the inner end of which is adapted to normally enter an aperture 33 in the free end of an arm 34 mounted on the shaft 26. While said bolt remains in engagement with said arm, the .shaft 26 cannot be actuated through the medium of the lever 25 to vote the'machine. 'It is the duty of the inspector, after he shall have placed the vote-confining or restraining bars in the position shown in Fig. 7, to pull outwardly upon the locking bolt 32 to withdraw the inner end thereof, against the action of the spring 35, from the aperture in the end of the arm 3d, leaving the shaft 26 free to rotate when an elector pulls upwardly upon the handle 25. To hold the locking bolt in its retracted position against the action of the spring 35, a pivoted detent 36 (see Fig. 1 is mounted on the face of the machine adapted to engage between a shoulder on the retracted portion of the locking bolt and the face of the machine to hold said bolt extended, as shown in Fig. 7. After the elector has cast his vote by a proper manipulation of the lever 25, the shaft 26 is returned to its normal position by the spring 37 when the looking bolt 32 is released by raising the detent 36, allowing the inner end of said bolt to again engage in the aperture in the end of the arm 34:. After a vote shall have been cast, it may be destroyed by the inspector and the parts returned to their normal po sition by rotating the locking cam 22 to the neutral position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 8, and drawing outwardly upon the rods 14L and 19 to return the bars 13 and 17 and the buttons 3 confined therebetween to the front orright hand end of the machine in position for a succeeding operation.

It will now be apparent, that, by means of the restraining bars 13 and 17 actuatable through the medium of the sliding rods 14 and 19 connected therewith, respectively, and under the control of the inspector, the machine may be set to permit an elector to exercise freely his choice with respect tothe candidates for nomination for the several Oll'lCES on the party ticket with which he is atliliated but which before his vote can be cast, may be so positioned as to with certainty confine his vote to the party whose ticket he has announced his intention of voting. The power of the inspector to confinethe ticket voted by the elector to the candidates of one party and of preventing the voting of the ticket selected or made up by the elector until the machine has been placed in position to confine or'restrict the ticket as above stated, obviates the possibility of the elector voting for a candidate not on his party ticket and insures the carrying out of a primary election upon voting machine in a manner prescribed by law in States Where such matters are controlled bystatutory regulations.

Having thus fully set forth my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:-

1. A voting machine having a plurality of voting columns for the tickets of the several political parties, members movable across the face of the machine into said voting columns, and means for confining said movable members against movement in either direction after arrangement by the elector in the voting column of the political party for Whose candidates the elector has cleclared his intention of voting.

2. A voting machine having thereon vertical columns adapted to contain the names of the candidates for the several political parties, members movable on the machine into said voting columns and adapted to actuate the vote-registering mechanism, and means under the control of the inspector for confining said movable members after arrangement'by the elector to the voting column of one political party.

A voting machine having spaces there? on for the tickets of several political parties, members movable into the spaces occupied by the party tickets, said members being adapted to actuate the vote-recording mechanism, and means for restricting said movable members atter arrangement by the elector to the space occupied by a single party ticket.

4t. A voting machine having spaces thereon for the tickets of several political parties, members movable into the spaces occupied by the party tickets, said members being operatively associated with the vote-recording mechanism, and means impossible of manipulation by the elector for restricting said movable members after arrangement in voting position to the space occupied by a single party ticket.

5. A voting machine having spaces thereon for the tickets of several political parties, members movable into the spaces occupied by the party tickets, said members being operatively associated with the vote-recording mechanism, and means operatable by the inspector for restricting said movable members after arrangement by the elector to the space occupied by a single party ticket.

6. A voting machine having spaces there on for the tickets of several political parties, members movable into the spaces occupied by the party tickets to make up the ticket the elector desires to vote, said members being operatively associated with the voterecording mechanism, confining bars movable into position upon opposite sides of said members When arranged in voting position in the space occupied by a party ticket, and means for locking said confining bars against movement.

7. A. voting machine having spaces for the tickets of several political parties, mem bers movable into the spaces occupied by the party tickets to express the choice of the elector for the party nominees, restraining bars movable across the machine to confine said movable members in any one of the spaces occupied by a party ticket, rods for actuating said restraining bars, and means for locking said rods.

8. A voting machine having spaces thereon for the tickets of severalpolitical parties, members movable into any one of the spaces occupied by the party tickets to express the choice of the elector for the party nominees, said members being operatively associated With the votea'ecordirig mechanism, means under the control of the inspector for limiting the movement of said members, and means for locking said limiting means against movement by the elector.

9. A voting machine having spaces for the tickets of several political parties, members movable into the spaces occupied by the party tickets, restraining bars movable across the machine to confine said movable members in any one of the spaces allowed for a party ticket, rods for actuating said restraining bars, spaced notches upon said rods having designating characters corresponding with the designating characters of the party tickets, and means engaging in aid notches for locking said rods against longitudinal movement. 7

10. A voting machine having spaces for the tickets of several political parties, members movable into the spaces occupied by the party tickets to express the choice of the elector for the party nominees, restraining bars movable across the machine to confine said movable members in any one of the spaces occupied by the party tickets, means for actuating said restraining bars, and means for indicating to the inspector the exact position of said restraining bars With respect to the voting" spaces occupied by the party tickets.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

v IRA WATERMAN.

Witnesses G. B. 'BAENZIGER, I. G. HoWLn'r'r.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patentt, Washington, D. C. I i i 

